This invention relates to snouts commonly used on combines and the like to raise a down crop such as corn and to guide the crop into the combine. Such a snout usually has a pointed forward end and increases in size both transversely and vertically to present an upper surface which is inclined upwardly and rearwardly to engage and lift the crop. The snout includes a forward part which is hinged on a rearward part to swing up and down about a transverse axis as the snout engages mounds of earth and the like. When the crop is corn, a deflector known as an ear saver projects from the rearward part of the snout to prevent the stripper plates associated with the snapping rollers and the feed auger of the combine from ejecting the corn ears.
When operating on a down crop such as corn, the snouts present a number of problems. For example, many of the corn stalks will lie across the paths of two or more snouts so that one snout guides the stalk into the snapping rollers for one row of corn while the stalk goes underneath the snapping rollers for the adjacent row. This often results in severe tangling of the stalk. In addition, the ear saver causes the stalks to gather at the entrance of the snapping rollers. Because of this, the ear savers often are removed for down corn but this results in many ears being ejected.